Question
I have a Schefflera that is rather old. It was moved from an office environment where it recieved very little attention. I brought it home where it did ok for a while. It is now dropping leaves at a rather alarming rate. They don't seem to be wilting or dry. We changed the dirt last weekend and they stopped falling off untill today.
It appears as if it has started again as there was a leaf on the floor today. It is in a west window with partialy open blinds. It gets very little direct sun. I don't think we are over watering it.
Do you have any suggestions?

Peter

Answer
Hi Peter,

The fact that it received very little attention at the office may be a factor. Plants can survive neglect for a long time without symptoms, but eventually they reach a point where they fall apart rather rapidly. Without knowing the degree of neglect, it is hard for me to know how much that has contributed to the problem.

Otherwise, watering is the likely problem. I would need to know how tall the Scehefflera is and the pot diameter (before and after you changed the soil) before I could tell you how best to water. If you can send me a photo to my address below, that would be even better.

Changing the soil was not a good idea. I know this is a common practice, but it usually traumatizes the plant without really accomplishing anything positive. Did you observe the roots? Did they look firm and whitish or did they look dry and stringy or did they look soft and mushy. Roots are the nerve and circulatory systems of plants and their condition reveals lots about the health of a plant.

Please get back to me with additional information so I can better answer your question.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]